Forbidden Glance

Chapter Four: Lonesome

It wasn't rare for Elroy to have lonely days; ever since his brother had been arrested he resorted to taking time out alone in his room. He grew to love it, it allowed him to think.

In his secondary he was told by his teachers "Think for yourself, and once you've done that then take the next step." And he tried, he tried to learn to take responsibility of where he wanted to go, but it always remained a haze, a misty vision in the future. Everything was so far off then, he was a little teen with nothing to give other than dreams. And towards the end of his secondary years he delved into research of what he wanted to become, "A real estate owner, that's what I want to become." He told his tutor, she smiled and told him he could reach it if he worked hard. But things not for first time had not gone according to plan, he failed his GCSE's and as he sat in the waiting room of the only college who accepted him, he had to think once more.

"Think about the course you wish to do." said the interviewer. He sat there quiet weighing his options. He wanted to do A-levels so he could end up in a top university, then a top firm but he was not able to do so and when he was told he was not able to do so. He thought to do a Btech.

Two years later it was time for university, were once more he had to think. Did he wish to continue his study of business? Or would he be able to take property. "Have you thought about it?" asked the interviewer of his campus. He had, and finally he had the step to reach the goal he wanted.

Now his mother had asked him to think when he told her, "Think, do you want to leave university for this?" She said, oblivious to the fact that he had already put hours of research.

That evening he lay on his warm bed. The men had fitted the double glazed windows all over his home and the warmth from the heaters had made him feel like a little boy again. When he was younger his mother had decorated spaceships, stars and rockets on his ceiling so when he'd go to sleep he'd look up and be in space.

It was also his place of refuge when his mother and father would fight. His older brother Tal would bring him to his room, and they'd talk about rockets and spaceships. Tal was older than Elroy by seven years, and even though he had no taste for spaceships he'd still listen to him talk about them.
Then his mother would come upstairs with tears clinging to her eyes, and weep on Tal's chest. They'd whisper to each other, most of time Elroy would not be able to hear, but he was able to hear the tires of his father's car screech.

Dark days they were, Elroy had no time worse in his life than that period. Eventually he lost contact with his father until last New Year's Eve. His father asked about the family, and when Elroy told him Tal was in jail his father broke down; a man's man he was and to hear him cry had set Elroy back. It had been a year now since then and his father hadn't returned his calls.

"Yes?" he said picking up his phone, he hadn't realised someone had been calling.

"Is this Elroy?"

"Could be ..."

"This is Cole; your brother's friend."

"Cole, yeah I remember you." How could he forget, Cole use to visit the house regularly for Tal. They'd go off in his smart car and return late at night. He was the one who bought Elroy his first PlayStation. "How comes your calling on a private number?"

"I didn't know this was you number. Listen, I wanted to know about your house being robbed."

"How did you find out?"

"Tal. He said that you guys were robbed and I had to call."

"Yeah. Just a few days ago."

"Listen. If you need anything, let me know. I can't have a bro's yard robbed like that. We can get the guys who put a hit on your yard."